The present invention relates to flame-retardant coating compositions and more particularly to such coatings which are non-emissive.
For present purposes, a non-emissive coating composition is a coating composition, an applied film of which does not evolve or emit any organic components thereof, including solvent, except for water during curing thereof. Non-emissive coatings are required, for example, for coating the interior of submarines when such submarines are at sea, because adequate ventilation to protect personnel aboard the submarine from volatile organic components cannot be effectively and adequately provided. Thus, the need for coating compositions which at most evolve water during the drying or curing of the coating composition after application. Further, such coatings should be flame-retardant in order to protect the substrate upon which the coating is applied as well as to retard the spread of fire. While non-emissive, flame-retardant coating compositions would appear on the surface to be easy to formulate, it must be remembered that such coatings cannot be formulated at the expense of desirable coatings characteristics such as, for example, flow, leveling, application viscosity, can stability, room temperature cure, and like desirable coatings characteristics. More on this can be found in the Dick et al report "Development of a Nonemissive General Purpose Paint for Submarine Interior Application," Final Report for Period 1 September 1978-31 August 1979; David W. Taylor Naval Ship Research and Development Center, Aug. 31, 1979, the disclosure of which is incorporated expressly herein by reference.
The coating compositions of the present invention meet such diverse performance requirements as outlined above and as will be more fully appreciated based on the disclosure contained herein.